Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Bryan Woodward, Once listed as a 'Gator Swim Club' head caoach was arrested for solicitation of a minor.

Bryan Woodward was arrested for solicitation of a minor in a federal sting operation. His photo and any reference of being affiliated with the club has now been removed. All that is left is a Google cached page listing his accomplishments.

From the Google cached site:

"Bryan takes over the helm of Gator Swim Club after spending a year as the program's Head Age Group Coach and Asst International Group Coach. During his first year with the club, Bryan helped Gator Swim Club finish in the top 10 at each championship level meet including a 4th place finish at the Long Course Florida Age Group Championships; the programs best finish in team history. The club was also Combined Team Champions of the Long Course Speedo Sectional Championship. ... [...]

GAINESVILLE, Florida, January 11. BRYAN Woodward, the head coach of the Gator Swim Club, was arrested on charges of the use of a computer to solicit a child for sex and for travel to seduce a child for sex according to a source close to the situation. ...

Both the Gator Swim Club and USA Swimming are obviously going through the motions to insulate their team from potential harm.

The Gator Swim Club is quite a successful club and I am hoping that they have, or will employ a "no ONE-ON-ONE contact policy." I have written several blog posts stating that a policy like this is the best protection policy that a club or USA Swimming could implement yet it keeps getting shouted down. Words like "inconvenient" keep coming up.

If the Gator Swim Club does not have a "no ONE-ON-ONE contact policy" I hope they will consider it now and let the press and the bloggers know about it.

12 comments:

A no "ONE-ON-ONE " policy between a coach and swimmer. Here is a paragraph excerpt from a previous post where I compare the "Boy Scouts of America" policy versus what USA Swimming has now which is to say... Nothing! :

No one-on-one contact. One-on-one contact between adults and youth members is not permitted. In situations that require personal conferences, such as a Scoutmaster's conference, the meeting is to be conducted in view of other adults and youths. [Parents must be involved for one-on-ones if an adult can be there]

As for the computer: Kids need to be educated as well when they join a club to the above rule and then work with it digitally. All emails should should CCed to the parents. As for text messages, the parent or guardian has to be included.

Specifically, it says "Open and Observable Environment: An open and observable environment should be maintained for all interactions between adults and athletes. Private, or one-on-one situations, should be avoided unless they are open and observable. Common sense should be used to move a meeting to an open and observable location if the meeting inadvertently begins in private."

Of course, this is a guideline, not a policy, but I would worry about any coach who doesn't do this.

As a parent and a swim parent, I always thought I could protect my child from something like this. You think you can spot them a mile away. This was not the case with this coach. He maintained a professional distance from the swimmers, sometimes seeming completely indifferent to them. As a parent I watch the news and see the mugshots and think that an offender would be easier to spot, even thinking that parents who dont see the signs must be complacent or negligent. I watched him coach for more than a year and never had a concern, even noting to myself his level of professionalism and how smart he was to keep his distance. My point is to say, you can never be too careful.

USA Swimming's response to this, according to Swimming World, is to suspend his membership "pending a conviction".

It is horrifying to think that USA Swimming would need anything beyond the evidence that a coach traveled for sex with a child. This is an immediate and automatic ban in any rational world! If this pervert is not convicted there should be no way back into the sport.

USA Swimming spends millions settling lawsuits each year but only to protect their paycheck. USA Swimming should risk a lawsuit here...

this happened on a computer and nothing happened with team members of the club. one on one is a stupid idea for this instance because the coach never tried moves on any of the swimmers he coached. If it were an instance about the california team FAST was it? Where a coach actually had relations with a swimmer, i would agree. one on one doesnt allow for swimmers to talk about what the want without the pressure of parents or other teammates or whomever. Its an obnoxious rule that will probably get broken anyway.

What I am hearing in the comments section is that he left his own swimmers alone.

The purpose of a no one-on-one policy is to protect individuals, the coach and child.

If I was a coach I would insist on it so as to avoid false allegations. Once someone is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor, there is no due process, you have to prove yourself right on the spot or a scarlet letter "P" for pedophile is branded right there on your forehead before they even finish spelling your last name.

Hence, have a witness or three and you will never have to worry about a ruined life over a big fat lie.

About Me

I swim with a sanctioned 'USMS' swim club called: Southern California Aquatics (SCAQ). I compete in local swim meets and open water races throughout California. I make my living as a creative type in "Lost Angeles" and this blog is completely my own endeavor and not owned or controlled in any way by the SCAQ swim club.

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